Well, what can the life-saving community do?
If there aren't enough operators, and there's no more money to hire more, a message is better than nothing.

I fully agree it sucks (having to have waited through such a message, to report a minor collision a friend of mine was in), but the fault is more in the lack of money, and the people who call 911 to complain about their loud neighbors or such.

Find the number of the police station, darn it!
(And get those emergency services more money).